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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28976853">Schordinger's Robin</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tht0neGal666/pseuds/Tht0neGal666'>Tht0neGal666</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The It, The Girl, The Shadow [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Arguing, Dead Jason Todd, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Im sorry cass isnt in this one either please dont get used to it, Kid Stephanie Brown, Kid Tim Drake, Negotiations, POV Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown Needs a Hug, Tim Drake Needs a Hug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 08:20:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,019</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28976853</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tht0neGal666/pseuds/Tht0neGal666</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"He was- We're a lot alike, right? Aren't you trying to get him to move on?"</p><p>Tim shook his head, almost offended at the thought. "Of course not! It's- it's Robin. He can't- Steph, he can't just leave that behind."</p><p>"But he has to move forward." She sighed.</p><p>He nodded, equally annoyed with the paradox.<br/>--<br/>Or; Robin's dead, everything sucks, and two children play hot potato with his legacy.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Stephanie Brown &amp; Tim Drake</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The It, The Girl, The Shadow [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1297841</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>78</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Schordinger's Robin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Well." Steph sighs, kicking a pebble off the side of an apartment roof. "Who's it gonna be?"</p><p>They listen to the rattle of the pebble as it bounces its way down the fire escape. A well placed shot. Or a lucky one.</p><p>Tim closed his eyes, thirteen years of age. His idol was dead, his hero was spiraling, his hope had flown the coop, the city's backup was lost-and-finding herself, and his sister was asleep, utterly unaware that the world was crumbling around them.</p><p>(Or, well, just Gotham, he supposed. But really- what was the difference?)</p><p>Above it all, him and Steph sat on an apartment rooftop, trying to drown out the pathetic, wet, choking sobs of a guy Batman just beat bloody for petty theft.</p><p>She doesn't clarify her question- doesn't bother. They both know what she's asking.</p><p>They both know, for better or worse, it'll be one of them. Tim squirms, something boiling under his blood.</p><p></p><div>
  <p>"You." He spits out before he can think twice, because it's the only answer he has. Rip the Band-Aid off.</p>
</div><p>"Nope." Steph dismissed without missing a beat, but there was a trace of something dangerous in her tone. "Try again, <em>Boy."</em></p><p>"Wouldn't dream of it, <em>Wonder." </em>He returned evenly, kicking his legs over the ledge. They hit the concrete behind them hard enough to ache a bit, but it kept him grounded. Kept him from scratching a scab on his neck. "Redbreast. I can see it."</p><p>"Well, I can't." Steph shook her head, running a hand through her hair. "Wouldn't I remind him too much of Robin?" She pointed out, with a brittle smile. "He was- We're a lot alike, right? Aren't you trying to get him to move on?"</p><p>Tim shook his head, almost offended at the thought. "Of course not! It's- it's <em>Robin.</em> He can't- Steph, he can't just leave that behind."</p><p>"But he has to move forward." She sighed.</p><p>He nodded, equally annoyed with the paradox.</p><p>"Still." He insisted, leaning forward, only <em>just </em>not falling. "You're similar enough to be familiar, sure but you're different, too. You're <em>you."</em></p><p>"And you're <em>you, </em>too." She giggled, and he joined her. He always did. "Gimmie a real reason."</p><p>Her eyes glimmered, and he was sure his own mirrored hers, and, oh, there's <em>Challenge, </em>and neither of them will go down easy. They never do.</p><p>It sent a bit of a thrill up his spine, and a painful skittering under his sternum. They hadn't argued in- <em>a while.</em></p><p>"You <em>know </em>I'm too much of a fanboy." Was his first claim, rolling easily off her tongue. Not a good one, he knows, but he can't start too strong. Something angry won't <em>let </em>him. "I won't be able to keep him in line, I'll bend too easily. He needs someone to drag him into redemption."</p><p>"You look the same, ish, and I act the same, ish- don't they pretty much cancel out?" She shrugged easily, like his points weren't even worth pondering. That was fair, he knew, if annoying, and his neck <em>itched</em>. "And we both know you're too much of a <em>Drake." </em>She countered expectedly, rolling her eyes. "You don't have it in you to take shit from anyone, even Batman. If anything, you know him better. You'll know what to do. What to say."</p><p>"They don't cancel out- we can cut and dye your hair, you'd look the part just fine, but I'll never be the same kind of Gotham you are. Besides, I know him <em>too well </em>by now, Steph." He grinned, a bit of pride sparking at the sentance. "He'll be suspisous. I'm not sure I can lie to him."</p><p>"Well, I'm sure I <em>can't." </em>She hissed, scrunching up her nose. "And don't kid yourself. You can lie to <em>anyone." </em>He gave her a skeptical look, and she looked ready to push him off the roof. "Timothy, you lied to <em>Cass."</em></p><p>He faltered at that because- "But this is <em>Batman." </em>He reminded her. "The world's greatest detective, Gotham's favorite son. I can't just assume-"</p><p>"You lied. To <em>Cass." </em>She repeated, like it was a valid dismissal of his doubt, and, well. </p><p>He didn't object again. His fingers twitched, and he cleared his throat.</p><p>"You wouldn't have to lie at all, though." He pivoted easily, ignoring her scowl. "We drop you off somewhere on his patrol, set you up for a little show- You're <em>Gotham, </em>the same way Robin was. You'll make it work, and he won't even question it." He ignored the thing squirming around in his lungs, trying to stitch his throat shut before he <em>won</em>. He chewed his words twice before speaking, because he <em>had </em>to win this. "And you'll be <em>wonderous. </em>You can work with Batman and Robin, get stronger, get <em>safer. </em>You'll save people, you'll save Batman and this whole city and maybe even the world, Steph you'll be <em>Ro-"</em></p><p><em>"Tim." </em>She cut him off harshly, and he could just barely make out her fingers going white with how tightly she gripped the ledge. "Tim, why the <em>hell </em>are you arguing this? You're going to be Robin. You want it more, you know it better- Tim, you haven't even told me <em>who they are. </em>I won't fit. I won't know how to, and I'm not sure I want to." She huffed, tugging harshly on her hair. Tears in her eyes, she glared at him. </p><p>"Give me a <em>real </em>reason, Tim." She commanded, something final and sure in her tone. Like she'd already won.</p><p>He winced, swallowed nervously, and it felt like gulping <em>lava</em>. He wasn't sure if he should scoot closer and offer comfort or farther and offer space- <em>Cass would know Cass would know- </em>so he sat in place. Not entirely unlike the gargoyle a few feet away.</p><p>"You need it more." He says, words falling out of his mouth like legos, blunt and childish and with the potential to cause pain if he didn't clean them up <em>quick. </em>"Steph, you can't keep living like this. You wouldn't fit in with Batman at first, but there's plenty of space, you just have to make it your own. You <em>don't </em>fit in the shadows with me and Cass, though. You're too bright, too bold, too <em>big. </em>You're outgrowing it, and if you stay you'll stunt yourself. I won't let you." He said, with more confidence then he felt.</p><p>(Locked up tight, trapped between his lungs and his throat, something <em>screamed. </em>Something a little like <em>mine mine mine should be mine I want it I want it, </em>Something a little like<em> no no no no don't leave me don't go stay stay stay I need you don't leave me don't go I need you-</em></p><p>Something a lot like <em>please please please I'll do anything this can't be it it can't be please I've lost enough please please please please.</em></p><p>But this wasn't about <em>him, </em>so it went ignored. Swallowed. Like bugs, and crawling under his skin just the same, <em>itching </em>for release.</p><p>This wasn't about him. It was about the things he did for love. Cold pearls raised goosebumps on his neckline, but his hands were warm where Steph and Cass had held him, and this <em>wasn't about him.</em>)</p><p>"You can't just- DO that!" She hisses, swaying almost dangerously on her perch. "You can't just- you can't shove me off onto Batman just because I'm <em>too much. </em>I'm not some jigsaw piece for you to fit in place at your convenience!" She all but snarled, and Tim stared into the middle distance, entirely unsure how to respond to that.</p><p>"I don't....want you gone." He starts, because Steph was one of the few people that <em>'honesty is the best policy' </em>actually applied to. A good thing, too- he <em>hated </em>lying to her and Cass. "I would <em>never </em>want you gone!" He said, offense leaking into his voice at the thought, because it was <em>absurd.</em> "I just don't want you to run yourself into the ground. C'mon, I know you've noticed it too. You want in on the action, you've got that same righteous anger that burned Jason up from the inside out, except you have me and Cass and we'll never let you flicker out, so instead you're going to be the best robin <em>ever. </em>It'll be perfect! Steph," He said heavily, again, because apparently she didn't hear him right the first time, "You're going to <em>be Robin.</em> You can't just- just <em>not!"</em></p><p>Sheph scrunched up her nose her eyes at his enthusiasm, and he made sure to keep all negative emotions out of his face. This would get ugly fast, if Steph thought he was angry at her for no reason.</p><p>Then she eyed him suspisously, and even in the pale moonlight, he felt far too <em>seen. </em>Just on instinct, he shifted further into the shadow, but her familar gaze only sharpened.</p><p>"You <em>want </em>this more." She said slowly, like she was only realizing it. Very carefully, Tim didn't react. Barely even breathed. "You want this...a <em>lot, </em>don't you?" She said anyway.</p><p>She knew him too well. He returned the favor, but at the moment it did <em>not </em>feel entirely like an equal exchange.</p><p>Silence stretched, and he realized she was actually waiting for a response. He hummed a reluctant confirmation, not wanting to drag this out.</p><p>"Then why are you pushing it for me so hard? I could figure something else out. Maybe strike out as a vigilante of my own?" She considered, tilting her head, but Tim shook his head.</p><p>"I- It <em>can't </em>be me, Steph. You need it more. Robin comes with pre-established equipment, connections, and reputation. It'll be a <em>major </em>starting advantage over striking out on your own, even with Cass and me to back you up." Tim tugged on his hair loosely. He needed a haircut- it was almost long enough to tie up.</p><p>"I'm sure we'd manage." She rolled her eyes, scooting closer to him. "Especially considering that <em>you'd </em>be Robin, so we'd still have all those perks you're worried about. I could-"</p><p><em>"No." </em>Tim shook his head, his mother's necklace feeling vaguely like a rope around his neck, biting into the skin under his clothes. </p><p>(Feeling vaguely like something <em>hungry.)</em></p><p>"Why <em>not?" </em>Steph demanded, and Robin was <em>a dream come true, </em>but he knew he couldn't. He <em>knew </em>it. Like he knew dreams didn't come true in Gotham without a cost, like <em>Steph </em>should know just as well.</p><p>Tim shrugged. There wasn't anything else to say. Tim couldn't be Robin, and Steph had to. That was the beginning and the end of it.</p><p>"I....I have other things to do." He claimed, a splinter of truth. "Not more <em>important </em>things, not <em>better </em>things, but other things. Ones I have to get done." He sighs, cleaning out the last strands of hope like cobwebs in an attic. He was too old for fantasies. "Being Robin would be...<em>magical, </em>but it's not where I'm most needed. I'm already where I need to be, hidden in the shadows of the shadows with Cass, and I'm fine with that. Happy with it, even." He sighed, voice cracking a little at the end. That was the truth- almost the whole truth- and it hurt to say. He was going to miss this <em>so much.</em></p><p>But Steph didn't need to know or worry about Tim. She'd have enough on her plate, with Robin.</p><p>"...Fine." She relented, teeth snapping shut loudly, like a slammed door to a future Tim knew better then to ponder. It hurt, but in a good way, an expected thing.</p><p>Ripping off the band-aid, right?</p><p><em>"Fine." </em>She repeated, slinging an arm around his shoulder and pulling him closer. He didn't stop her, melting into the hold- he'd miss this, too. "But don't you <em>dare </em>be a stranger, okay? I don't care how well you can hide, Timothy Drake, I <em>will </em>find you. Can't get rid of me <em>that </em>easily." she teased, poking his nose.</p><p>"Wouldn't dream of it." He laughed, rubbing the spot she poked, and that was the truth too.</p><p>(But, sometimes, dreams matter less then nightmares. Especially in Gotham.)</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Haha, you have fallen into my trap! This was all an excuse to write pixie cut steph all along!</p><p>Ideas for more are def for in the works, So, stay tuned ig, but it'll probs be another hot minute?? We'll see. Ty for reading, any comments are appreciated &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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